Blinker fluid shortage predicted

Consumers should expect to see dramatic increases in the price of blinker fluid, as industry analysts have predicted unusually large shortages in the volatile specialty market.

“With increasing conflict in the Middle East, we’re starting to see much lower harvesting of the base fluid from the Abu-Tjurni region of Syria,” said Specialized Petroleum Association analyst Clyde Turner. “It’s the only known source of the fluid in production right now, so instability in the supply chain has catastrophic impacts in this highly volatile market.”

As global supplies shrink, the impacts will be felt in every market with a strong automotive presence. The impacts will be felt much more severely in markets like the United States, where a lack of industry regulation about the use of blinker fluid has allowed vehicle manufacturers to produce cars that consume much higher amounts of the valuable fluid than their counterparts in Europe and Asia.

Prices on Wednesday reached as high as $75.52 per barrel in heavy trading. 

While consumers brace for the price increase, some experts are moving to take advantage of the volatility. 

“We saw this coming with the problems in the Middle East,” said American Fluid Traders Association spokesman Morgan Grimley. “We encouraged our members to begin stockpiling early last year in hopes of capitalizing on rising prices. Some did and some didn’t, so I think we’ll start to see wide price variances in retail outlets around the country. Consumers should be aware of this issue and shop around when buying their blinker fluid, they could really save some money if they purchase from dealers who were looking ahead at the coming trends.”